Card punching machine



Sept. 5, 1944. c. R. DoTY 2,357,460

CARD PUNCHING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2 2 5 "a we@ k t s. fw 2 FIGS waonnhJoNeshwtsswlz l oo- -o oo ooo ooo T -'""\"5 oo o o ooo RB E 0000000006000OQOGOGGOOGGGQGOOOO O OOO 0 GOGO 0000 0000000 o 0 E Q OO O OOO OO n D E s n un 6D I] |24567l9l0lr2 C. R. DOTY CARD lPUNCHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1944 INVEN OR Y BY ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1944.

sept. 5, 1944. c. R. Dow 2,357,460

CARD PUNCHING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mrc/r nur/,va ow fawn/frs :af/mars ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-FlcE 2,357,460 c AaD rUNcmNG MACHINE Charles R. Doty, Yonkers, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 2, 1944, Serial No. 524,688 9 Claims. (Ci. 164-115) This invention relates to card punching machines and more particularly to the system in which card punching operations are controlled by coded designations appearing on a telegraphic tape.

The invention pertains to an improvement which enables space designations appearing between certain data groups on the telegraphic tape to be rendered ineffective with regard to its normal card spacing function. The appearance and necessity of such space designations will be clear from the following:

The telegraphic tape utilized herein is preferably of the form used to control well known printing telegraph machines and in punching the telegraphic tape previous to controlling such machines data groups are demarcated by a space designation to distinguish the groups. This space designation separates the typewritten data printed by the printing telegraph machine. For example, the data groups JOHN JONES 567 123 if not punched on the tape with a space designation between S and and 7 and 1 will run adjacent typed groups together with a possibility of confusion in reading the data. The occurrence ofy this space designation is, therefore, of necessity but the appearance of such on the telegraphic tape brings about a problem in statistical card punching operations which prevents the perforation of such data groups in a conventional manner when the telegraphic tape is used to control the card punching machine. Space designations are necessary in card punching to demarcate words, to ll out card elds, etc., but the provision of space designations between successive data group-s would bring about undesirable card column spacing operations between card fields.

The main object of the invention is broadly the provision of a card spacing mechanism for a card punching machine and selective means for eliminating spacing operations called for by a punched tape at predetermined card columns of the punching machine.

A still further object of the invention is to place such selective means under control of a carriage operable cc-nco-mitantly with card punching operations, so that at predetermined card column positions of the carriage card spacing operations are automatically prevented even though space designations on the telegraphic tape call for this operation.

More broadly the improvement consists of automatically operated means to render. space signals on a telegraphic tape ineiiective at prede- Cil tennined points of the carriage to thereby eliminate, at such points, card carriage space operations so that successive fields of the punched card will be punched adj acently.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the record card perforating unit and diagrammatically showing the electrically connected tape sensing unit.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of a telegraphic tape bearing an exemplary message which is to control punching of a record card.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary portion of a statistical record card having coded data designation perforations formed therein in statistical code and punched under control of the tape shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a timing chart showing the timing of contact operating cams involved in the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating details of construction of the record card perforating unit involved in the present arrangement.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of circuit connections of the electrical elements involved in the present arrangement.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the escapement mech-y anism for the card punch.

General description The present improvements are preferably incorporated in the combined tape controlled punching machine shown in complete detail in the patent to C. R. Doty et al. for Record controlled perforating apparatus," No. 2,340,801, dated February l, 1944.

The embodiment of the invention in the form of apparatus shown in the patent is merely illustrative since the invention may find application or incorporation in other forms of machines.

The aforementioned patent shows and describes in detail the construction and operation of the tape sensing and record perforating units which are shown in Fig. 1. To more fully vunderstand the operation of the improvement,v a general outline of functional operations thereof will be set forth briefly.

The telegraphic tape 25 is advanced each punching cycle of the apparatus for successively presenting the transverse rows of coded perforations to cyclically operable sensing pins of the tape sensing unit. Sensing contacts 52 (see Fig. 6) are controlled by such pins and are operated .in different code combinations in accordance with the information sensed on the tape. The message on the tape may consist of numerals, alphabetic data and other coded designations to secure certain functional operations in the punching machine. The machine also includes supervisory circuits so as to distinguish properly from the code designations in the telegraphic tape consisting of alphabetical and numerical data. Recourse may be had to the patent for the electrlcal arrangement to veffect punching on the tabulating card C (Fi-g. 3) to represent by another code of designations the alphabetical data and the numerical data. In general, the translating vand distributing relays of the patented arrangement and their associated contacts are effective to translate or convert the data designations sensed in the 5-unit telegraphic code to` the statistical code, and accordingly control selectively the energization of the punch selecting magnets ||5 (Fig. 5) to thereby cause the operation of punches for punching thestatistical card C with coded perforations representing the sensed data on the tape 25.

The punch unit is provided with a column readout device |65 (Fig. 1) a portion of which is also shown in Fig. 6 and which is well known in the form of punching machine selected as an i1- lustrative embodiment.- In accordance with the plug connections made to the column readout, certain auxiliary functions will be effected in the tape sensing unit as well as to cause other functions to be performed in the punching machine itself, such functions being known as card ejection, carriage return operations, tabulating and duplicating operations, etc. As Will be described more in detail later on, one of such functions is the spacing of the card carriage of the punching machine so that a column of the card may be spaced over without effecting a punching operation.

The punching machine is of the type which is shown in complete detail and fully described in U. S. Patent No. 1,976,618 and also shown in Fig. 1 of U. S. Patent No. 2,016,686. The punching machine includes an escapement mechanism for causing a step-by-step position of the card carriage for each punching operation. The construction of the escapement mechanism is also well known and controlled thereby are contacts designated at FC in Fig. 6 which ae the well known iloating cam contacts which are opened each time that the card carriage is moved a card column but come to closed position when the carriage has come to rest after having moved through the space of one card column. In Fig. 6 contacts CT| represent the latch contacts which are also well known, both in function and operation. The upper contact blades of the CTI contacts are normally closed but at the termination of a card punch cycle the contacts are transferred to initiate the motor M in operation to reciprocate the card carriage by power operated means to place another card thereon. Only a general reference to both the FC and CTI contacts is made herein since they are well known instrumentalities and are only incidentally involved in the present invention. In this category are also contacts PC shown in Figs. 5 and 6 which are in circuit connection with the punch magnet |24. Closure of the PC contacts causes the energization of the punch magnet |24 to eiIect a punching oratlon of the statistical card. However, as is well known (patent to W. F. Gutgesell. No. 1,939,049, page 5, line 3) the energization or the punch magnet |24 alone, i. e. without a punch selecting magnet ||5, will cause the operation of the escapement mechanism (Fig. 7) and the spacing of the card carriage to the extent of one card column. Such energizations o1' magnet |24 are eil'ected to cause spacing operations of the card carriage by circuits to be subsequently described in detail.

The escapement mechanism incorporated in the card punching machine is well known and is fully shown and described in the patent to Schaan, No. 1,426,223, dated August l5, 1922, and for convenience is shown in Fig. 7 herein. For each energization of the punch magnet |24 shaft |32 (Fig. 5), as is well known from Patent No. 1,939,049 to W. F. Gutgesell, is rocked in a clockwise direction and then in a counterclockwise direction to iirst eiect disengagement of pawl |33 from the teeth |34 formed on the top side of the card carriage escapement rack |35 by a shaft actuated pin |36, and then cause the engagement of latch pawl |31 with teeth |34.

Spring |33 will then pull pawl |33 to the left on its loose pivot to rest on top of a tooth, so that when the counterclockwise movement of the shaft '|32 raises pawl |31 the advance of the escapement rack |35 and card carriage will be terminated by pawl |33 engaging the next tooth.

Reverting now to the electrical instrumentalities of the tape sensing unit, it will be recalled that the tape sensing pins 5| of the tape sensing unit cause the closure of the contacts 52 in accordance with the code of perforations of the sensed tape. Upon the closure of cam contacts C3 of the tape sensing unit a circuit is closed from the line 200, through latch contacts CTI, conductor 204, through the C3 cam contacts, the said sensing contacts 52 and the translating relays R3, R4, R5, R6, R1, R8, R9, R|0 and RII to the line side 203. The energization of such relays in combination determines, through the translating system, the particular punching lmagnets ||5 of the punching machine which are to be energized. The electrical relays and the translating circuits to eiect this function are fully described in the Doty et al. patent.

Referring to Fig. 2 it will be observed that the data represented thereon may consist of two distinct groups. For example, an alphabetical group representing a name and a separate group representing some associated numerical data. This, however, is merely an example and the data may be of the same group or varied at will. 'I'he distinction to be noted is that in perforating this data on the statistical card it is perforated therein in two adjacent card fields. .For example, the alphabetical data are perforated in card columns `.1 12, consisting of one card ileld and the numerical data in card columns I3, |4, and I5 which is the successive card rleld punched. For reasons above stated it is preferable to demarcate the distinctive groups of data on the tape by a space" designation which herein consists of a single perforation on the tape at the 3 code position. Also to ll out the card eld, one or more space designations occur to effect one or more spacing oper-` ations of the card carriage to cause the lrst punched digit or letter of the next card ileld to appear in the ilrst left hand column of the next card iield. Also the space designation occurs between words such as JOHN and JONES, When the space designation occurs in such latter position, the' normal spacing operation, of course, is to be eected and this isperform'ed by a circuit fully described in the patent and also herein.

To effect spacing of the'card carriage in the punch unit a space designation is placed in the proper column position of lthe tape 25. Upon sensing a space code designation, the "3 sensing contacts 52 are closed to establish a` circuitv to the translating relay R5, upon closure of cam Therefore, in the assumed example a plug con-,

nection is made from plug socket of the card '4 contacts, wire 204, and CTI contacts, back to line 200. The contacts R|5b are now effective to complete a circuit from line 200, through the CTI and FC contacts, conductor thence through the R|5b contacts, wire 22 I, A2 cont'acts now normal, punch magnet |24 to line 203, energizing this magnet and spacing the card carriage one step to present the next column in the card to the punches. During operation of the tape sensing unit, cam contacts C5 are opened by a cam on the same shaft that controls the C2 land C3 cam contacts to break the described holding circuit for relay-RI5. The escapement of the card carriage times the closing of the FC contacts to occur after the deenergization of the R|5 relay to prevent a repetition of the card carriage spacing operationf It is explained that the relay RIS does not select any of the punches 5 of the punching machine; therefore, no punching is effected on the card.

In the example shown in Fig. 2, after the tape has been sensed for the N designation in the name JOHN, the tape is spaced to the next column and the space designation is then sensed. After the statistical card is perforated to represent N in card column 4, the card carriage is spaced to card column 5 which corresponds to the column of the tape having the coded space designation. No perforation is made in card column 5 and the card carriage spaces by the above described operation to column 6 at which position the J is perforated.

Where the data on the tape does not complet/ely fill out the card eld. one or more space designations may occur in the tape and normal spacing operations of the card carriage will be effected. This is shown by the two space designations after the name JONES. The first space designation will effect the spacing of the card carriage to card column I2 and the second to card column I3 but it will be observed that at the corresponding column position of the tape there is a third space designation which is utilized at this point to demarcate the groups of alphabetical data and numerical data when the tape controls a telegraphic printing machine. Cir-v cuit connections are now effective at the thirteenth card column position of the carriage to render the normal spacing circuit ineffective. whereby the card carriage will remain at card column position I3 in the present example to receive the perforation representing the digit 5 of the successive group of data.

In general, to suppress card spacing operations of the punching machine so that the card will remain in position to receive perforations under control of the column of perforations of the tape 25 which followsthe column of the tape in which the space designations occur, a plug connection is made from the column position of the column readout which corresponds to the card column in which the card perforation should appear.

column I3 which plug connection is designa-ted by 2 I5 in Fig.. 6. This plug connection is made to one of a series of plug sockets 2 I6 of the Space elimination group. With the understanding that after the card has been punched in card column I0, the card carriage then escapes to column and the successive escapement of the card carriage under control of the two Space designations brings the carriage to column position I3, a circuit will be closed when card column I3 is reached from the line 203 through the column readout of the punch since the brush |68 is at the card column position I3, thence to the plug connection 2|5, plug socket 2I5, through relay coil A, thence through the normally closed BI contacts, conductor 204, through CTI latch contacts to line 200, thereby energizing relay A. Relay contacts AI close to provide a stick circuit through such contacts and cam contacts C4, conductor 204, CTI contacts, back to line 200. The C4 contacts are controlled by a cam on the same shaft of the tape sensing unit that carries the cams controlling C2 and C3 contacts described in the patent. The timing of the C4 contact; is shown in Fig. 4, wherein it will be observed -that it closes at the end of the cycle of the tape sensing unit. When relay coil A is energized cam contacts C4 retain the A relay coil energized during a greater part of the next cycle of the tape sensing unit when the space designation is sensed. In the manner previously described the R5relay will be picked up when the C3 contacts close at the beginning of the cycle` of the tape sensing unit to sense the space designation, now causing the transfer of the R5a contacts. Subsequently, when the C2 contacts. close, a circuit will be closed from line 200, through CTI contacts, conductor 204, cam contacts C2, conductor 206, normally closed contacts R3a and R4a, now transferred contacts R5a, normally closed contacts R6b and R8c to the pickup winding of the space control relay RIS. to line 203. A holding circuit is now established for this relay R|5 as before; namely, R|5a contacts, conductor 201, the C5 cam contacts, wire 204, and the CTI contacts back to line 200. Contacts R|5b are now effective to close a circuit from line Y200 through CTI contacts, FC contacts, conductor 20|, thence through R|5b contacts, conductor 22|, through the A2 contacts previously transferred, through the B relay coil to line 203. Hence, it will be observed that the previous transfer of the A2 contacts prevents the impulse from being directed to the punch magnet |24 to therebyprevent a. card spacing operation. The escapement mechanism of the punching machine will not be operated and the card carriage will remain at card column position I3.

Relay coil B opens the BI contacts to open the pickup circuit for the A relay coil but the above described stick circuit for the A relay retains it energized. A stick circuit for the B relay coil is closed from line 203, B relay coil, through the B2 contacts, conductor 20|, through FC and CTI contacts back to line 200. This stick circuit retains BI contacts opened to prevent reenergization of the A relay coil after C4 cam contacts open since the card carriage is still at column I3. B relay is deenergized when FC contacts open by the next column spacing of the card carriage. When cam contacts C4- open-'at 270 the stick circuit for the A relay coil will be opened and A relay coil .will now deenergize to thereby enable the A2 contacts to transfer back to normal position to render the spacing circuit effective if the next designation on Vthe tape 25 or any subsequent designation consists of the space designation. During the cycle following that in which the A relay is deenergized, the next column of -code designations of the tape is sensed and in the present example consists of the figure shift designation which enables selection of relays to perforate the card to represent numerals. No card spacing operations are effected during this sensing cycle as is described in detail in the patent. next cycle of the tape sensing unit the numeral designation on the tape is sensed and now will be perforated in the statistical card C at the I3 card column position. The carriage now spaces to column I4 and opening of FC contacts opens to stick circuit of relay B to deenergize this relay. Succeeding cycles then ensue for the tape sensing unit and the record punching machine to perforate columns I4 and I5 to represent 6 and I, thereby completely punching the second card field in the assumed example.

At the I6 card column position of the column readout, plug connections are made to the Space elimination" sockets and the spacing circuit will again be rendered inoperative for that cycle of the tape sensing unit, enabling in the same manner the perforation of card column I6 to represent I, the left hand digit of the number |23 to be perforated in the third card field.

While there have been shown and described and :pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and.

in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limted only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. In a punching apparatus the combination of means for sensing a telegraphic tape perforated to represent groups of data which are demarcated on the telegraphic tape by coded designations representing a space to correspondingly function in a telegraph printing machine, the combination of a statistical card punching machine controlled by the aforesaid sensing means to punch said groups of data on a. statis- .tical card in a statistical code, said machine includingan escapement mechanism for effecting the column spacing of the statistical card for each punching of the card column and also controlled by said sensing means to operate said escapement mechanism when said sensing means senses the space designation on said tape, and means operable at predetermined column positions of said card for suppressing the operation of the escapement mechanism irrespective of the escapement operation called for by the space designation at a column position of the tape.

2. In a. punching apparatus the combination of means for sensing a telegraphic tape perforated to represent groups of data which are demarcated on the telegraphic tape by coded designations representing a space to correspond- During the Y ingly function in a telegraph printing machine,

' means to punch said groups of data on a statistical card in a statistical code, said card punchy ing machine including an escapement mechanism for effecting the column spacing of the card carriage thereof when said sensing means senses the space designation on said tape;4 and means operable at predetermined column positions of said carriage for suppressing the operation of the escapement mechanism irrespective of the escapement operation required by the space designation at a column position of the tape.

3. 'Ihe machine according to the preceding claim 2 wherein the card punching machine is provided with a column readout; and said suppressing means is rendered selectively operable at predetermined column positions by selective connections from the column readout of the carriage to said suppressing means.

4. In a punching apparatus the combination .of means for sensing a' telegraphic tape perforated to represent groups of data which are demarcated on the telegraphic tape by coded designations representing a space to correspondlingly function in a telegraph printing machine, the combination of a statistical card punching machine controlled by the aforesaid sensing means to punch said groups of data on a statistical card in a statistical code, said card punching machine including an escapement mechanism for effecting the column spacing of the card carriage thereof concurrently with the column spacing of said tape, means to effect the operation of said escapement mechanism to space said card carriage when said sensing means senses the space designation on said tape, and means operable at predetermined column positions of said card for suppressing the operation of the escapement mechanism irrespective of the escapement operation required by the space designation at a column position of the tape whereby only the tape is spaced for sensing the next column of data designations.

5. In a punching apparatus the combination of means for sensing a telegraphic tape perforated to represent groups of data which are demarcated on the telegraphic tape by coded designations representing a space to correspondingly function in a telegraph printing machine, the` combination of a statistical card punching machine controlled by the aforesaid sensing means to punch said groups of data on a statistical card in a statistical code, an escapement mechanism controlled by an electromagnetfor effecting the column spacing of the statistical card for each card punching operation, a circuit for said electromagnet closed by said sensing means when the latter senses the space designation on said tape, and means operable at predetermined column positions of said card for opening said circuit for suppressing the operation of the escapement mechanism. A

6. In tape sensing and punching machines, the combination of an electromagnetically operated escapement mechanism for a card carriage of said punching machine, tape sensing means of said tape sensing machine for sensing tape designations, a space control relay set up under control of said sensing means when a coded space designation is sensed, relay means controlled by I, said relay to effect the energization of the eleccarriage. a supplemental relay including means to energize the latter at predetermined column positions of the card, and relay means controlled by said supplemental relay to prevent the effectiveness of said ilrst named relay.

7. In a combined tape sensing and punching machine, the combination of an electromagnetically operated escapement mechanism for a card carriage of said punching machine, a column readout of said punching machine. tape sensing means of said sensing means for sensing tape designations, a space control relay set up under control of said sensing means when a coded space designation is sensed to cause the energization of the electromagnet of said escapement mechanism to eiect the operation of the latter to space the card carriage, a supplemental relay, selective plugging connections from said column readout to said relay to energize the latter at predetermined column positions of the card, and relay means controlled by said supplemental relay to prevent the effectiveness of said first named relay.

8. In a punching apparatus which includes a card punching machine and a telegraphic tape sensing machine for causing punching of a card to represent groups of data derived from coded designation on said tape demarcated by a space designation, both of said machines being concurrently cyclically operable for each tape sensing and card punching operation, said tape sensing machine including a tape sensing means and said card punching machine including an escapement mechanism to effect card column spacing operations, the combination of means controlled by said sensing means upon sensing a space designation to effect the operation of said escapement mechanism to space the card in the same concurrent cyclic operation of the tape sensing machine during which said tape is sensed, escapement control means settable at the termination 'of the cyclic operation of the punching machine and at predetermined column positions of the card, and means operable by said settable control means for preventing said sensing means from causing the operation of the escapement mechanism when a space Adesignation is sensed on the tape in the following cycle oi.' operation of the tape sensing machine.

9. In a punching apparatus which includes a card punching machine and a telegraphic tape sensing machine for causing punching of a card to represent groups of data derived from coded designation on said tape demarcated by aspace designation, both of said machines vbeing concurrently cyclically cperablefor each tape sensing and card punching operation, said tape sensing machine including a. tape sensing means and said card punching machine including an escapement mechanism to eiect card column spacing operations, the combination of means controlled by said sensing means upon sensing a space designation to eect the operation of saidescapement mechanism to space the card in the same concurrent cyclic operation of the tape sensing machine during which said tape is sensed, escapement control means settable at the termination of the cyclic operation of the punching machine, selective means for causing the setting of the latter at predetermined column positionsof the card, and means operable by said settable control means for preventing said sensing means from causing the operation of the escapement mechanism when a space designation is sensed on the tape in the following cycle of operation of the tape sensing' machine.

CHARLES R. DOTY. 

